The government will next month reactivate a biometric computerised system to screen all travellers crossing a key Afghan border terminal, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Wednesday.
The system was installed on a trial basis in January 2007 to try and control illegal cross-border traffic at Chaman.
But on the second day, thousands of Afghan tribesmen attacked the border gates, forcing authorities to close the crossing. The protest was against the biometric system, and a plan to fence and mine parts of the border. Further protests saw the government to shelve the system.
“We have decided to reactivate the biometric system. I will inaugurate it on November 30, next month,” Malik told reporters in Chaman.
“Both Pakistan and Afghanistan need this system. It is necessary to keep an eye on everyone crossing the border and to stop illegal immigrants,” he added. The system is designed to replace the previous permit system, by issuing border passes to people after recording their fingerprints, retinas or facial patterns for identification.
Separately, talking to reporters at Sarawan House Quetta after meeting PPP leader Lashkari Raisani, the interior minister said the government had decided to call a peace conference of local and foreign religious scholars in Quetta to control violence caused by sectarianism.
“Religious scholars and other stakeholders from various walks of life from across the country and abroad will be invited to attend the peace conference in Quetta to end sectarian hatred and violence,” Malik said.
He said extremist elements were involved in activities to destroy peace in Balochistan, adding that the government would utilise all its resources to improve the law and order in the province.
Referring to the missing persons issue, he said the total number of missing persons hailing from Balochistan was 54 and not 6,000
“I have discussed the missing persons issue with Lashkari Raisani and I will inform President Asif Ali Zardari about the reservations of Raisani in this regard,” he said, adding that both federal and provincial governments had been making efforts to resolve the issue as early as possible.
He aid the commission on missing persons issue was active and discharging its services effectively.
